Addressing the Needs of

Homeless Youths in Higher

Education Diana Bowman

Director

National Center for Homeless Education

Do you know a student who: • Is living doubled up because she was kicked

out of her parents’ home

• Would be on the street if she couldn’t stay with a friend or relative?

• Is couch surfing?

• Is living in a car?

• Has no place to go on holidays when the dorms close?

• Is living in a place without heat or plumbing?

• Has no contact or support from his parents?

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What educational challenges do

unaccompanied homeless youth face? • Lack of financial means to live independently and safely

• Difficulty paying for AP exams, college entrance exams, college applications, housing deposits

• Difficulty being financially self-sufficient once enrolled in college

• Limited housing options, especially in small towns or rural areas

• Struggling to balance school and other responsibilities

• Lack of access to parental income information and support

• Lack of knowledge of available support systems

• Lack of caring adult guidance

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Why are unaccompanied youth on their

own? • Long-standing patterns of family conflict: blended

family issues, pregnancy, sexual activity or orientation, school problems, alcohol/drug use

• Abuse or neglect within the home

• Parental incarceration, substance abuse, illness, hospitalization, deportation, death

• Running away from foster care

• Aging out of the foster care system

• Policies preventing older boys to stay in shelters with their families

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What support exists for homeless

students? • McKinney-Vento Act supports students K-12 in

public education and links them to services

– School stability

– Immediate enrollment

– Support for academic achievement

– Local Homeless Liaison in every school district

• Recent awareness of homeless students on campuses has resulted in many similar supports

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College Cost Reduction and Access Act

• Independent student status on the FAFSA

for unaccompanied homeless youths and

self supporting youths at risk of

homelessness

• Can apply for aid without parental signature

or consideration of parental income

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Independent student status must be

determined by: • Local Homeless Liaison in a school district

(graduating senior identified as homeless)

• Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) funded

shelter director or designee (student must have

received services)

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD) funded shelter director or

designee (student must have received services)

• College Financial Aid Administrator

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Independent Student Status

• CCRAA uses the MV definition of homeless

– Children or youth who lack a fixed, regular,

and adequate nighttime residence, including:

• Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing,

economic hardship, or a similar reason (“doubling

up”)

• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping

grounds due to the lack of adequate alternative

accommodations

• Living in emergency or transitional shelters

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MV Definition cont.

• Awaiting foster care placement (less applicable

for higher ed. due to the CCRAA’s provision on

kids in foster care at age 13 or older)

• Living in a public or private place not designed for

humans to live

• Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings,

substandard housing, bus or train stations, or a

similar setting

• Migratory children or unaccompanied youth living

in the above settings 9

More on Independent Student Status

• At risk of homelessness: “when a student’s

housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and

adequate”

• Includes a homeless student fleeing an

abusive parent, even if the parent would

provide housing and support

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2012-2013 Application and Verification

Guide • Youth = 21 or younger or still enrolled in

high school on the day he/she signs the

FAFSA; youth identified as homeless gets

independent student status

• Ages 22-23 = need a dependency override

for independent student status

• Age 24 or older is automatic independent

status

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Unaccompanied Homeless Youth and

the FAFSA • Do not need to provide information on

parental income and assets

• Do not need a parental signature

• Do provide information on their own income

and assets

• EFC calculated proportional to what the

student can provide based on his/her

resources

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Role of the FAA According to the AVG

• If a student does not have, and cannot get a determination of homelessness from a local liaison, RHYA provider, or HUD provider, a FAA must make a determination of unaccompanied homeless youth status

• If a student meets the definition of UHY, this is not an “exercise of professional judgment” or a “dependency override”; this is determining the independent student status of an unaccompanied youth

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Role of the FAA According to the AVG

• In instances where a student doesn’t meet

the definition of UHY but there are other

extenuating circumstances, a dependency

override or exercise of professional

judgment may be appropriate

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FAA Determination of Student Status

• Verification of “yes” answers on the FAFSA

is not required unless there is conflicting

information

• Permits a FAA to determine a student’s

status with a documented interview

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Tips for Determining Independent

Student Status • Become familiar with the AVG as it pertains to

homeless youth

• Become familiar with the McKinney-Vento Act’s definition of homeless; use NCHE’s brief on determining eligibility: http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf

• Consult with local homeless liaisons, state coordinators, NCHE, or NAEHCY

• Utilize the guide developed by NCHE and NAEHCY: http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/faa_det_tool.pdf

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How do we identify homeless students?

• Post information publicly in strategic places on campus

(NCHE’s Awareness Poster for Homeless Students: http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/he_poster.php )

• Identify a single point of contact for homeless students; post this information

• Create awareness among staff, particularly those working in the area of financial aid and student services

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How can we support unaccompanied

homeless students? • Refer unaccompanied homeless students to

community support services

• Establish coordination between financial aid, student support services, and campus housing

• Establish a food and clothing bank on campus

• Plan housing for homeless students when dormitories close

• Establish a mentoring program for unaccompanied homeless youth

• Establish a campus/community task force

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What are some additional resources?

National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)

Homeless/Higher Education Web Page: http://center.serve.org/nche/ibt/higher_ed.php

Helpline: 800-308-2145; homeless@serve.org

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)

Higher Education Web Page: http://www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/helpline

Higher Education Helpline: (855) 446-2673 (toll-free) or highered@naehcy.org

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Presenter Contact Information

Diana Bowman

National Center for Homeless Education at

The SERVE Center, Greensboro, NC

dbowman@serve.org

336-315-7453

NCHE is the U.S. Department of Education’s

technical assistance center in the area of homeless

education.

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